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In my continuing effort to promote wines made with lesser-known grapes and from regions that are either not in vogue or relatively unknown, here are red and white grape varieties that deserve your attention. Remember that it is up to us as consumers to help protect the rich fabric that is diversity of grape varieties. And how do we do that? By buying and trying.

Viognier

Viognier in many ways is the white version of pinot noir, attempted by many but mastered by few. Why is it so difficult? Viognier is a grape that has a relatively low acidity, and when grown in regions that are too warm, it can easily become flabby. So the key is to find a climate that is “just warm” enough to ripen the grape, while not moving into overripeness.

Considering viognier’s relatives, this makes sense. In 2004, DNA testing at the University of California, Davis, found that it is closely related to two Italian cool climate grapes — the red grapes nebbiolo and freisa. How it came to the Rhône from Italy is unknown, but when it is done right, it does justice to its lineage with nebbiolo, one of the wine world’s most noble and complex grapes.

And nowhere is this expression as profound as in Condrieu, an appellation just south of the Rhône’s northernmost appellation Côte-Rôtie.

This is on the limit of where it can be ripened successfully. In order to do so, yields are kept very low, which is why these wines are rare and often quite expensive. However, when you drink great Condrieu, there is nothing like it. The wines are subtle, often showing delicate floral aromatics and notes of white stone fruit like pear and peach. The texture tends to be oily as opposed to buttery, and the length is often exceptional.

As recently as 1980, viognier was pretty much limited to the northern Rhône. But over the last 30 years, the grape has travelled. While it has been misplanted in regions that are too hot and overripened, both a result of inexperience with this testy grape, I have tasted very good viognier the world over.

From Australia to South Africa, Argentina to Uruguay, there are some very good viogniers on the market. Few rival the intensity and depth of Condrieu, but neither are they going to cost you over $50 a bottle. Because of its low acidity, which is necessary for whites to age well, these wines are usually drunk in their youth. Condrieu might be the most expensive wine in the world that is meant to be drunk young. How does it drink and what’s its role at the table? I find that fans of richly textured chardonnays always love viognier. Low acid translates into richer textures. The big difference between the two is that viognier is much more perfumed and floral, rarely marked by oak, and the fruit flavours tend to be much more subtle.

The less expensive versions, because of the aromatics, pair well with recipes that are equally perfumed. I love it with Thai cuisine, where coconut milk and aromatic spices are often used. Because of the texture, don’t fear pairing it with white meats like chicken.

Richer versions, like Condrieu, can handle many of the same dishes when one would use a “big” chardonnay — lobster, scallops and fish served with a cream sauce.

Negroamaro

It’s a “well-heeled” grape, but not because of the elegance and finesse of how it drinks. The two words that immediately come to mind when I drink a bottle of negroamaro are power and rusticity.

Negroamaro, along with primitivo, is the grape in the “heel” of Italy — the region of Puglia. When it arrived in the region is not known, but according to the website tarandroses.net, which is a fantastic resource on Italian wines, it was perhaps brought over to Italy by the Greeks. The name, rooted in a southern Italian dialect, is drawn from the word “niuru,” which means black, and “manu,” or bitter. And that perfectly describes the wine. Negroamaro wines are dark coloured, with significant tannic structure.

It has survived for so long in one of the hottest regions of Italy because it can tolerate drought, intense heat, and despite reaching higher alcohol levels, can keep its acidity.

The alcohol is a sign of grapes that get very ripe, and the fruit and aromatics are definitely those of a hot climate vine. I often find notes of jam, prunes and other dried fruits. But there is also a very earthy component with notes of black olive, tobacco and leather.

And like most grapes that are quite tannic, they usually have to spend some time in oak barrels to soften them up, which adds an element of spice.

But this range of aromas and flavours can mean that the wines, when made entirely with negroamaro, can be a bit sombre. This is why the grape is often blended with brighter, or fruitier grapes that can liven up the ensemble.

One of the appellations that does this with great success is Salice Salentino, where negroamaro is blended with the aromatic malvasia nero.

The end result is quite powerful wines. And because the negroamaro vine can do all this, while producing a large quantity of grapes/vine, they are also relatively inexpensive. And what to drink with them? These are definitely “meat” wines, especially those cooked with spices, and powerful flavoured meats like lamb. Feel free to cook with olives, spices, and aromatic herbs.

Your turn to taste

La Grande Dégustation Le Maître de Chai

One of Quebec’s best wine agencies, Le Maître de Chai, is giving you a chance to taste some incredible wines, meet the people behind them, and all for a good cause. In a fundraiser for the Musée d’Art Contemporain de Montréal, representatives from more than 30 exceptional wineries, with the accent on Burgundy, will be on hand and pouring their wines.

Vin de Pays d’Oc 2011, Viognier, Domaine des Salices, $14.95, SAQ #10265061. The leaner side of the grape, but still shows, if not served too cold, the hidden richness that makes viognier so interesting. Notes of exotic fruits and citrus, with a hint of honey. Excellent for the price. Serve at 8-10C. Drink now. Food-pairing idea: apéritif, chicken or shrimp brochettes with apricot.

Condrieu 2011, Pierre Gaillard, France white, $50.75, SAQ #861641. Rich. This is classic northern Rhône viognier, with the accent on white stone fruits, and underneath the layers of fat, a mineral streak that keeps it fresh. It’s like drinking an oboe concerto. Will make you pensive. Serve at 8-10C. Drink now. Food-pairing idea: lobster, creamy cheeses.

Salento 2011, Negroamaro, Tenute del Sole, Italy red, $15.35, SAQ #11253960. Juicy and big. Not a lot of complexity here, but if you want a wine that gives you slightly jammy fruit, and gritty tannin with a touch of spice on the finish, this is great for the price. More modern incarnation, but still negroamaro. Serve at 16C. Drink now. Food-pairing idea: roast pork or chicken with dark sauce.

Salice Salentino 2006, Reserva, Notarpanaro, Italy red, $19.60, SAQ #709451. Earthy wine lovers will be in a happy place here. Has that olive note one often finds in these southern Italian wines. This is rich and ripe, with sweet cherry and spice notes. Rustic tannins. but that doesn’t stop you from throwing this back with abandon. Serve at 18C. Drink now-2016. Food-pairing idea: leg of lamb with herbs, chicken with black olives.

Puglia 2011, Neprica, Tormaresca, Italy red, $16.50, SAQ #11660346. Negroamaro blended with primitivo and cabernet sauvignon. No oak, so this is all about the fruit. Fresh and powerful, with a great complexity of fruit and some evocative floral aromatics. Serve at 16C. Drink now-2014. Food-pairing idea: veal scaloppini served with sun-dried tomato and olive sauce

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